Citroen C4 1.6 VTi Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Citroen C4 1.6 VTi range
Prices: £14,695-£16,495 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 5-6
Emissions: 159-165g/km
Performance: 0-60mph - 10.0s / Max Speed - 121mph
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 30.4mpg / (extra urban) 54.3mpg / (combined) 42.2mpg (combined)
Safety: six airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA.
Dimensions: [Coupe] Length/Width/Height 4274/1769/1458mm

FRENCH LESSONS

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Citroen have got around to giving their C4 family hatchback a decent petrol engine. Jonathan Crouch checks out the 1.6 VTi version

Citroen’s C4 was let down in its original form by some rather unremarkable petrol engines. While some of them continue at the bottom of the range, most customers looking to run their C4 from the green pump will opt for the 120bhp 1.6-litre VTi engine we look at here. Nor should they be disappointed. This unit, along with a package of restyling and quality changes, has kept this car in contention in the crowded family hatchback sector.

Rarely has one engine powered three so very different cars. The 120bhp 1.6-litre VTi petrol unit, developed jointly by BMW and the PSA Group, is used in the MINI Cooper, the Peugeot 308 and in the car we’re looking at here, the latest version of Citroen’s hi-tech C4 family hatchback. What’s even stranger is that it manages to suit three very different characters of car: small and sporty (the MINI), relaxed and long-legged (the Peugeot) and….. well….. How would we characterise the Citroen C4 we’re looking at here? Perhaps it’s exactly what most buyers want: an accomplished all-rounder.

At its original launch in 2004, the C4 felt fresh and distinctive and it still does. As before, there’s a choice of Coupe and Hatchback models. ‘Coupe’ is Citroen-speak for 3-door, the family-orientated 5-door derivatives being called simply ‘Hatchback’.

If you didn’t know that this engine was borrowed from the MINI Cooper, then there’s a chance you might guess the fact at the wheel of a spiritedly driven C4 1.6 VTi. Sixty zings by in ten seconds on the way to a top speed of just over 120mph, but those two figures don’t really give you much idea of the real world speed of this car. A more telling statistic is the fact that 90% of this car’s maximum torque is available all the way through the rev range from under 2,000 through to 6,000rpm. That’s turbo diesel-like pulling power and it could be attractive if your average mileage is so low that the HDI diesel’s price premium simply doesn’t add up.

The initial impression when driving the C4 is that its makers may have overdone it on the innovation front. Digital read-outs shine back at you wherever you look and the centre of the steering wheel is fixed in position. Remarkably, however, once you get over the initial strangeness, everything works very well. You only need to divert your eyes from the road slightly to pick up the wealth of information on the main dash-top display, which now incorporates a rev counter that, if you really get your foot down, flashes red at the limit, prompting you to change up. Rear visibility is hindered somewhat by the unorthodox rear window on the Coupe but parking isn’t a problem as the bottom section of the split screen gives decent view of objects immediately behind the car.

If you’re familiar with the original C4, then the changes to this facelifted version won’t come as too much of a shock. There’s a redesigned, curvier bonnet to make it look more like the large C5, whilst the grille benefits from restyled integrated chevrons. The front bumper has also been revamped and the number plate repositioned for what Citroen hope is ‘a stronger, sportier, more dynamic look’. The rear lights of the C4 Coupe are now finished in transparent crystal, there are fresh wheel designs and paint colours, plus in the pursuit of ‘added elegance’, chrome inserts are featured on some models.

Inside the cabin, the rev counter has been relocated to the innovative translucent central display unit. A plush grain is now featured on the dashboard and doors which, along with the smarter décor, makes for a more upmarket feel, while the integrated scented air freshener deals with unwanted odours.

The interior is spacious and the Coupe provides similar amounts of rear legroom and boot space to the Hatchback. The boot opening is narrower, however, and the levers that fold the front seats forward allowing access to the rear have a habit of sticking up to catch the shins of passengers climbing in. Ouch.